This week a client emailed us to comment on just how impressed he was by Curly Flat.

It is great to hear, even though it comes as no surprise to us – we have believed that the wines of Curly Flat are something special for a very long time; in fact, I recall tasting them for the first time in the mid to late 1990s, and the first vintage Atlas ever offered was the impressive 2012.

Curly Flat is one of the pioneers of cool-climate viticulture in Australia – respected wine critic, James Halliday, once commented that for Macedon, ‘Site selection, the careful matching of site and grape variety, razor sharp canopy management, and relatively low yields are all prerequisites for success. I think this is key to Curly’s success – they tick all these boxes. The Macedon Ranges is one of the coolest wine-growing regions on the Australian mainland. Altitude plays the pivotal role in determining just how cool the exact site is. It is worth noting that Mount Macedon is a little over 1000 metres high – consequently, the vineyards of Curly Flat lie between 400 and 700 metres, and it takes attentive viticulture to deliver this quality with such unerring regularity.

Over time, things evolve and, with the departure of former joint owner and winemaker Phillip Moraghan a few years ago, the now sole owner of the estate, Jenifer Kolkka, brought in Matt Harrop as winemaker. Despite being a Kiwi, Matt had previously worked for several other Australian estates and, having always been intrigued by fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, he jumped at the chance to work at Curly Flat and to understand its unique terroir. What has impressed me so much is that Matt has gently looked to refine the approach at Curly – this is very much a question of evolution not revolution as Jeni wanted to retain the style and reputation of the estate. Replacing a talented winemaker and picking up the reins with no perceptible change in quality or style is no mean feat, but to elevate the quality and refine the style without losing the context is something different altogether. To my mind, Matt has been instrumental in pushing the quality of Curly Flat’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir forward, notably in the last two vintages. And it is a case of ‘inching’ forward with one percent gains; it is these small refinements and tweaks to the viticultural approach and the winemaking that gently but surely lifts quality from an already established producer.

The Curly Flat vineyard covers approximately 60 hectares (150 acres) in one contiguous block, with just 15 hectares under vine. Pinot Noir dominates with 77% of the vineyard mass, and Chardonnay accounting for just 18%. The balance is Pinot Gris. The Pinot thrives here benefiting from the cool climate – the Macedon Ranges is the coolest mainland viticultural region in Australia on account of its altitude. The cool climate allows Pinot the near ideal long, cool growing season that it requires for perfect ripeness. The soils are largely considered ‘young volcanic soils’ meaning they are only 2-3 million years old, though on the western block, they have a proportion of very old soils that date back 450 million years! The sloping vineyard also permits a variety of different aspects all of which influences the ripeness of the individual blocks. The Chardonnay also benefits from these conditions, producing a wine that Jancis Robinson once described as ‘a dead ringer for white Burgundy’ with bottle age! A point to stress is you seldom find lofty alcohol levels at Curly Flat – and in recent years the alcohol levels have been consistently lower than many wines we purchased from Burgundy. Indeed, the 2022s come in at 12.7% on the Chardonnay and 13% on the Pinot Noir – on account of the slow pace of ripening at this altitude.

Few critics taste Curly Flat. I have samples sent to me each vintage in order to write my notes. Please see below.

A word on the 2022 vintage 
A cool profile vintage in line with 2021 and 2020, including the coldest spring on record at Curly Flat. The cool pattern ran through most of the growing season. January was a touch warmer than the norm and February was dry, aiding concentration in the berries. The run in to harvest remained cool but the fruit had ripened beautifully by harvest in April.

2022 Pinot Noir, Curly Flat
£195 per 6 bottle case in bond
Made from 11 separate lots reflecting different clones, soils and aspects. 16 months in French oak barriques, just 17% new oak. This vintage includes 6% whole bunch.

Typically Curly Flat, with fragrant, fresh red fruit aromas – cherry, baking spice and a hint of autumnal leafiness. On the palate, this reveals outstanding purity and a certain delicacy that I associate with the cooler vintages at Curly. The fruit is bright, juicy, with that sense that it was harvested on the perfect moment of ripeness…there is no hint of overripeness, instead a palate that bursts with red and dark cherry, wild strawberry too. It is so sleek, refined, with only a gentle hint of oak, barely obtrusive tannins. And it keeps that fragrant, fresh feel throughout. A little more spice and woodsmoke are laced into the finish which shows fine tension and outstanding length. Another great Curly. (SL) Drink : 2025-2037.

2022 Chardonnay, Curly Flat
£195 per 6 bottle case in bond
Made from 3 distinct blocks, fermented in 300 and 500 litre barrels. 28% new oak. Monthly batonnage. Full malolactic fermentation.

Pale light yellow/ green in the glass, with scintillating aromas of juicy citrus, nectarine, something like praline/ hazelnut too.  In the cooler vintages, there is a Burgundian structure; remarkably pure citrus fruit, with chalky, mineral, saline notes underscored by a steely acidity. Beautifully crafted with neither oak nor batonnage doing anything but taking the edge off the vibrancy of the fruit and providing notes of complexity. Effortless intensity with nothing heavy nor too bold. This is already hugely appealing….among the very finest vintages of Curly Flat Chardonnay, but don’t I say that every year? Superb. (SL) Drink 2025-2034.

I can’t recommend these wines highly enough – they are outstanding examples and so individual. If you haven’t yet tried them, you really should as you are likely to be rather surprised by the value and the quality as well as the precision of both wines, which simply reflects where they are grown.

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All the best,

Simon